Graveyard Shift Eerie And Disturbing Ghost Stories From Orphanages

There's something inherently chilling about old orphanages. Maybe it's the fact that scary orphanage stories abound - after all, the buildings are associated with heartbroken and lonely children. And not all of these tales concern the living. Plenty of real life ghost stories feature orphanages filled with restless and vengeful spirits.

These scary orphanage ghost stories all take place at actual haunted orphanages or abandoned orphanage sites around the world. These creepy stories aren't just campfire fodder, but are based off of real life tragedies that actually occurred at these places. You can even visit these locations, if you're in the mood for a firsthand ghostly encounter. Just be warned - you never know what might come home with you.

1 332 VOTES

Children Burned To Death Linger At Gore Orphanage

According to Ohio legend, Gore Orphanage in Vermillion burned down in the 1800s. Rumor has it that the fire was started by a disgruntled employee, or by the owner himself to collect insurance money. None of the children survived the fire.

The site has since been razed and abandoned. But visitors to the area claim that you can see ghosts of the orphan children frolicking about the woods. Others report smelling burning flesh and hearing the screams of children, and even finding tiny hand prints on their parked cars.

Abused Native American Children Haunt The Holy Family Orphanage

The Holy Family Orphanage in Marquette, Michigan opened in 1915. While it was initially meant to be a whites-only orphanage, the first occupants were 60 Native American children. These children weren't all orphans - some had been taken from their mothers in an effort to assimilate them into white culture. Rumors of abuse were common. One story says that a young girl who had disobeyed orders and stayed out in the cold died of pneumonia. Her body was put on display as a warning to the other children that they had better behave.

The Holy Family Orphanage closed in 1965, and visitors report hearing moaning children and sighting ghosts on the property.

Phantom Laughter Echoes Where St. Mary's Orphanage Once Stood

St. Mary's Orphanage housed children in Galveston Island, Texas. That is, until a hurricane wiped out nearly all of the orphans. In 1900, the "Great Storm" descended upon the island. As the orphanage began to flood, the Sisters working there tied the children to them with rope as they sought higher and higher ground. Eventually, however, the roof collapsed, trapping them inside and killing 90 orphans and 10 Sisters. Their bodies were discovered still tied together by the rope.

Today, the site is home to a Walmart. Employees report toys going missing, and hearing kids' phantom laughter missing toys. One employee was certain they heard a child calling for her mother, but upon a store-wide search, no one was found.

A Ghost Can Be Heard Committing Suicide At An Old Boy's Home

The Guthrie Boy's Home in Oklahoma opened its doors sometime in the early 1920s. According to legend, one employee of the orphanage killed himself in the bell tower. Another employee, a nurse maid, abused many of the boys and murdered several.

The building was closed in 1978 with the emergence of the foster care system. Today, visitors to the Guthrie Boy's Home claim to hear footsteps in the bell tower, bells ringing, and even gasping. The ghosts of the boys can be heard screaming late at night and the spirit of the nurse maid supposedly lurks in the main entryway.